Thursday, October 2, 2008

Fresh Lemon Grass Drink Causes Apoptosis to Cancer Cells

(apoptosis) noun: a type of cell death in which the cell uses specialized cellular machinery to kill itself; a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number and eliminate cells that threaten the animal's survival.

Fresh lemon grass fields in Israel become Mecca for cancer patients

By Allison Kaplan Sommer April 02, 2006

***************************************************************

A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.

Israeli researchers find way to make cancer cells self-destruct -Ben Gurion University

At first, Benny Zabidov, an Israeli agriculturalist who grows greenhouses full of lush spices on a pastoral farm in Kfar Yedidya in the Sharon region, couldn't understand why so many cancer patients from around the country were showing up on his doorstep asking for fresh lemon grass. It turned out that their doctors had sent them. 'They had been told to drink eight glasses of hot water with fresh lemon grass steeped in it on the days that they went for their radiation and chemotherapy treatments,' Zabidov told ISRAEL21c. 'And this is the place you go to in Israel for fresh lemon grass.'

It all began when researchers at Ben Gurion University of the Negev discovered last year that the lemon aroma in herbs like lemon grass kills cancer cells in vitro, while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The research team was led by Dr. Rivka Ofir and Prof. Yakov Weinstein, incumbent of the Albert Katz Chair in Cell-Differentiation and Malignant Diseases, from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at BGU.

Citral is the key component that gives the lemony aroma and taste in several herbal plants such as lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), melissa (Melissa officinalis) and verbena (Verbena officinalis.)

According to Ofir, the study found that citral causes cancer cells to 'commit suicide: using apoptosis, a mechanism called programmed cell death.' A drink with as little as one gram of lemon grass contains enough citral to prompt the cancer cells to commit suicide in the test tube.

The BGU investigators checked the influence of the citral on cancerous cells by adding them to both cancerous cells and normal cells that were grown in a petri dish. The quantity added in the concentrate was equivalent to the amount contained in a cup of regular tea using one gram of lemon herbs in hot water. While the citral killed the cancerous cells, the normal cells remained unharmed.

The findings were published in the scientific journal Planta Medica, which highlights research on alternative and herbal remedies. Shortly afterwards, the discovery was featured in the popular Israeli press.

Why does it work? Nobody knows for certain, but the BGU scientists have a theory. 'In each cell in our body, there is a genetic program which causes programmed cell death. When something goes wrong, the cells divide with no control and become cancer cells. In normal cells, when the cell discovers that the control system is not operating correctly - for example, when it recognizes that a cell contains faulty genetic material following cell division - it triggers cell death,' explains Weinstein. 'This research may explain the medical benefit of these herbs.'

The success of their research led them to the conclusion that herbs containing citral may be consumed as a preventative measure against certain cancerous cells. As they learned of the BGU findings in the press, many physicians in Israel began to believe that while the research certainly needed to be explored further, in the meantime it would be advisable for their patients, who were looking for any possible tool to fight their condition, to try to harness the cancer-destroying properties of citral.

That's why Zabidov's farm - the only major grower of fresh lemon grass in Israel - has become a pilgrimage destination for these patients. Luckily, they found themselves in sympathetic hands. Zabidov greets visitors with a large kettle of aromatic lemon grass tea, a plate of cookies, and a supportive attitude. 'My father died of cancer, and my wife's sister died young because of cancer,' said Zabidov. 'So I understand what they are dealing with. And I may not know anything about medicine, but I'm a good listener. And so they tell me about their expensive painful treatments and what they've been through. I would never tell them to stop being treated, but it's great that they are exploring alternatives and drinking the lemon grass tea as well.'

Zabidov knew from a young age that agriculture was his calling. At age 14, he enrolled in the Kfar Hayarok Agricultural high school. After his army service, he joined an idealistic group which headed south, in the Arava desert region, to found a new moshav (agricultural settlement) called Tsofar. 'We were very successful; we raised fruits and vegetables, and,' he notes with a smile, 'We raised some very nice children.'

On a trip to Europe in the mid-80s, he began to become interested in herbs. Israel, at the time, was nothing like the trend-conscious cuisine-oriented country it is today, and the only spices being grown commercially were basics like parsley, dill, and coriander. Wandering in the Paris market, looking at the variety of herbs and spices, Zabidov realized that there was a great export potential in this niche. He brought samples back home with him, 'which was technically illegal,' he says with a guilty smile, to see how they would grow in his desert greenhouses. Soon, he was growing basil, oregano, tarragon, chives, sage, marjoram and melissa, and mint just to name a few.

His business began to outgrow his desert facilities, and so he decided to move north, settling in the moshav of Kfar Yedidya, an hour and a half north of Tel Aviv. He is now selling 'several hundred kilos' of lemon grass per week, and has signed with a distributor to package and put it in health food stores. Zabidov has taken it upon himself to learn more about the properties of citral, and help his customers learn more, and has invited medical experts to his farm to give lectures about how the citral works and why.

He also felt a responsibility to know what to tell his customers about its use. 'When I realized what was happening, I picked up the phone and called Dr. Weinstein at Ben-Gurion University, because these people were asking me exactly the best way to consume the citral. He said to put the loose grass in hot water, and drink about eight glasses each day.'

Zabidov is pleased by the findings, not simply because it means business for his farm, but because it might influence his own health. Even before the news of its benefits were demonstrated, he and his family had been drinking lemon grass in hot water for years, 'just because it tastes good.'

No comments:

Post a Comment

YSC

I was diagnosed with stage III lung cancer in April 2008.
Dr. advised me to do 3 cycles of Chemotherapy.
I did chemotherapy but i stop at 2nd cycle, because I don't think it works for me, this will just continue to increase toxin to my body.
I decided to go for natural way.....
This blog created to collect all kind of Natural ways of cancer treatments.
Hope this could help people to get more info before they decide for the traditional treatment. Anyone have any info related to cancer please send email to siewchoong@gmail.com. i will keep it in this blog.

LIVER FLUSH

The following is given by Jack Schwartz to clean out the liver. Mix 1/2 cup of warm water with juice of one lemon, one table spone of molasses, one tea spoon of olive oil adn dash of cayenne pepper. Take first thing in the morning. Continue for ten days

GALLSTONES FLUSH

The gall bladder and the liver are connected. A weakness in the liver will benefit from gallstone flush. Most people have some gallstone even if they do not have any symptoms. The following procedure has been tried many times, some claiming to flush out as many as 100 stones. The stones come out in the stool and are green in color.

Start by taking four to five apples of one quart of apple juice per day for five days. Eat a normal healthy diet with little grease. On the sixth day, skip dinner. At 6pm take one tea spoon of epsom salt in a glass of warm water. At 8pm repeat the same. At 10pm mix 1/2 cup of lemon juice with 1/2 cup of olive oil and drink. On the seventh day look for stones in the stool.

Many people have tried this with success, passwing as many as 100 stones. If many stones were passed the first time this procedure can be repeated again in a few months. Generally it can be used once a year.

Raw Vegetables and Fruits as Body Cleansers

Fresh uncooked vegetables and fruits are excellent body cleansers. For example, the natural fiber works like brooms and brushes in keeping the colon clean. The nutrients also keep the intestinal walls healthy and strong. The juices of fruits and vegetables help to dissolve stored toxins in the body.

Lemon: Mix juice of one lemon and take with warm water first thing in the morning. It is good kidney cleanser as well as natural laxative.

Watermelon: For kidney infection, take a slice every 30 minutes. One can go on a 1-3 days watermelon diet, eating as much watermelon as one likes and taking no other food. This gives the digestive and eliminative organs a good clean out

WATER

The Ultimate Body Cleanser

From time to time is beneficial to give the digestive system a rest and take only water. This is known as fasting. It allows stagnant waste matters to flush out of the body. One should choose spring, filtered or distilled water for fasting. One to three days fast can be done almost anyone. For longer fasts, it is best to do so under guidance of someone experienced. Long water fast is not recommended but alternate with juice fasts.

Left lung x-ray on April 08

My Cancer treatment progress

17th April 2008 -Did Chest X-ray and Kidney ultra sound because have back pain and chest pain after 10KM run.After diagnosed, Kidneys was OK but found 7cm mass at my left lung from X-RAY.

18th April 2008Proceed to CT scan and Biopsy.

23th April 2008Result shown - Undifferentiated Carcinoma

24th April 2008MRI - full body Scan

25th April 2008MRI result, other organs are still OK.Oncology's Dr told me, my cancer is in STAGE III lung cancer, and it is an aggressive type I need chemotherapy asap.

Started to change my diet.

30th April 20081st Chemo (Drag name: Gemcitabine + Ciplastine)

7th May 20082nd Chemo (Drag name: Gemcitabine)

21st May 20083rd Chemo (Drag name: Gemcitabine + Ciplastine)

28th May 20084th Chemo (Drag name: Gemcitabine)

11th June 2008Stop Chemo treatment, Do CT Scan, result shown tumor grow.Dr. Advice to change drag.I decided not to continue.

Started with high doses of supplement foods.

17th June 2008Did biopsy again.

20th June 2008Result shown low epithelial tumor.Lung specialist advice to remove the tumor and left lung, but i decided not.At the same time my total Cholesterol level drop from 6 to 4.6... continue with proper diet and supplement foods.

24 Feb 2009my blood pressure and heart beat for these few months are very good in control.Blood pressure range maintain in 100 - 120 and 65-80.Resting heart beat maintain in 70 - 75.

.....

13 March 2010Haven't update my blog for quite sometime.Was busy with my work... ehm... i shouldn't be so busy should rest more...Still haven't check my cancer status...maybe next 2 months i should check it